Learn The Best Information For Making Your Home A Greener House
Are you interested in making your residence more electricity efficient and green? With rising electricity costs and sky high utility bills, most of us are looking for ways to cut costs and save some cash. You can begin right at residence, by making a few easy changes to make your house electricity efficient and more eco friendly.
But beyond energy efficiency, there are numerous other important factors that go into the model of a green home. For instance, water conservation, indoor air quality, and the use of safer building materials can all add to a more eco-friendly residence. This applies to new building, as well as renovating and greening an older home for improvement and sale. Here's a list of some of the factors to think about when remodeling your home, or purchasing a green house.
Correct Ventilation - The house should have the right number and placement of exhaust fans, proper ventilation, vapor barriers, and duct sealing. A well designed thermal envelope can make the house more comfortable and electricity efficient. Ventilation systems should be wrapped and sealed to stop air loss.
Air Quality - To make the home healthier, safe constructing materials ought to be utilized to limit introduction of noxious and harmful vapors. For example, use zero-VOC or no-VOC (volatile organic compounds) paint, and put in recycled, reclaimed, or sustainable flooring prepared from materials that don't have formaldehyde, such as bamboo or cork. Think about installing physical termite barriers in its place of chemical treatments, where appropriate.
Water Efficiency - Consider installing dual-flush toilets, low- flow shower heads, and a tankless water heater, or at a minimum; a more electricity efficient Energy Star rated model.
Insulation - One of the best alternatives a consumer can make is to install additional insulation. Use formaldehyde-free insulation. Additionally, install a radiant barrier on the underside of the roof, where suitable.
Roofing - Consider metal or cement tile roofing, or durable shingles rated for 40 years or more.
Appliances and Furnaces - Use Energy Star rated appliances. The HVAC (air conditioning) systems ought to have a 17 SEER rating or better, and furnaces ought to have a 90+ rating. The heating and cooling unit range and placement ought to be properly thought out to increase efficiency.
Lighting - Install electricity efficient fixtures. Compact fluorescent light bulbs ought to be utilized in place of halogen or incandescent bulbs.
Windows and Doors - Install double-paned, Low-E windows. Properly shade windows that face the sun, or install window overhangs. Install storm doors where suitable.
Thermostat Timers - Install a programmable thermostat and hot water furnace timer.
Outside - Think about installing low maintenance materials that make sense for your type of weather and region, such as fiber cement siding, 40-year shingles, and engineered wood framing.
Landscaping - Eco landscaping considers cautious assortment of plants, and concentrates on water conservation. Use green landscape design activities, such as reducing the size of the lawn. Think about the correct position of trees to help shade the residence and decrease cooling costs. Employ hardscape materials to reduce weeds and do away with the use of pesticides and herbicides. Use native plants and xeriscape techniques to stay away from the need for too much care and watering. Compost. Install drip irrigation systems and think about reclaiming water.
You may see that from top to bottom, you may look at your entire residence indoors and out to look for potential improvements to make it more eco friendly. It's not too hard to make your existing residence a green house. By making at least a few easy changes to improve energy efficiency, in no time you will see the optimistic results in your utility statements. Plus, you have the additional benefit of knowing that you are doing more for the natural environment at the same time, and that always feels nice.
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Tags: Alternative Energy, diy solar panel, Environment, green living, Home Improvement
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July 12 2009 03:26 am | Home Improvement